what do different colored exhaust smokes coming out of exhaust pipe mean?? Diagnose this problem at PartsAvatar.

Learn how toquickly check your car’s health from the color of the smoke emitted by your car exhaust – Tips from Partsavatar Aftermarket Parts.

You can easily determine an auto malfunction from the smoke emissions. It is definitely time to pay attention to your car if you notice smoke of different colors emitting from exhaust tailpipe.

Not all type of smokes determine auto malfunction. In some cases, if you notice a large amount of smoke coming out of car exhaust pipe, you would more or less consider that something is wrong with your car’s engine. But it is to be noted that it is not always the same case. Not all automotive problems can be detected from smoke types. But still, how do you know that the smoke is ruining your engine? When do you think is the time to visit the mechanic once you notice smoke?

Parts Avatar gives you the answer. In this article, we shall differentiate between different colored auto smokes that you must be familiar with along with their causes.

What are the Causes of Smoke?

First and foremost let us know why the smoke is produced before analyzing different colors of smoke. If there is some problem with the engine that produces smoke, that smoke makes its exit through the exhaust.

Sometimes, fire under the hood produces engine smoke and in the worst case flames may start coming out which could lead to a disaster. Do yourself a favor and get far away from your car if you notice something like this. It is foolish decision to keep on driving as it will eventually become risky for your safety.

Oil dripping from leaking valve cover gasket into the hot manifold may also produce smoke. You will also notice oil pooling under the car or the driveway if the leak is large.You can replace car valve cover gasket under aftermarket prices which are quite cheap.

So, not always there is issue with engine. But to begin with, smoke is not a good sign. Hand over your car to a certified technician and let him figure out what to do. Now let us discuss causes of different colored smoke emitted out of exhaust.

White Exhaust Smoke

Sometimes small amount of condensed vapors come out of exhaust in the form of white smoke. It is not that dangerous though. Vapors quickly dissipate in the atmosphere after exiting car exhaust tailpipe. But if your car is producing frequent thick white smoke, then it might be alarming.There is possibility that coolant might be burning inside the internal combustion chamber. There are various causes behind this as follows.

Cylinder Head

As the combustion chamber is located in the cylinder head, most explosive processes take place in here.Engine misfires are always caused due to cracks in cylinder head.

The crack in the cylinder head causes the coolant to enter the combustion chamber.

Due to too much heat inside the chamber, overheating can be caused. Due to immense heat, a lot of stress is put on cylinder head. As the cooling system has already failed and pressure has been built, this whole scenario causes the head gasket to malfunction and the cylinder head starts to crack. When the mixture of coolant and fuel is burnt for combustion process, it produces white smoke.

Auto Cylinder heads are one of the car’s costly repairs. Your car may need complete replacement of cylinder head. If the cylinder heads are ignored, by time the damage is so big that you might need to consider buying a new car.

Blown Head Gasket

The basic purpose of head gasket is to seal the block and the cylinder head. Often a damaged head gasket or cracks in the engine block makes passage for the coolant to enter the combustion chamber and get mixed with the fuel. Thus white smoke is produced. car's engine Head gaskets are cheap to purchase but at the same time costly when it comes to the labor.

Cracked engine block

A crack in the deck of engine block near the coolant jacket will cause the coolant to enter the combustion chamber.Cracked engine block can become a grave problem for your car’s engine. It is virtually impossible to repair a cracked engine block. Engine block supports almost all the components of the engine.

A crack in the block will cause huge leakages making your car emit white smoke. It is better to get an engine replacement as a whole.

It is to be noted that emission of white smoke is the first sign of engine overheating problem.Overheating of engine can lead to massive auto component damage under the hood. So call your mechanic immediately.

Gray/Blue Exhaust Smoke

A malfunctioning turbocharger or burning of oil in the combustion chamber can cause the exhaust to emit blue smoke.You might need to replace turbocharger of your car if it is faulty.These are possible symptoms.

Transmission fluid leakage

The transmission fluid used by your vehicle’s transmission might be leaking and getting mixed with the oil or fuel and getting burnt. A malfunctioning transmission vacuum modulator may be the culprit here which is causing the leakage and burning.

Leaking Valve stem seal

The valve stems regulate the oil to lubricate the guides in the chamber. Grey emissions might be produced due to faulty stem seals as they make the way for the oil to enter the combustion chamber. The best way is to either replace Auto Valve stem seal set or just replace the engine if the damage is quite big. Worn or damaged piston rings, damaged valve guides also cause grey smoke to be emitted out of the exhaust.Replace car's piston rings in combustion chamber too.

Stuck PCV Valve

Blue or gray smoke could also be produced due to immense crankcase pressure caused by the stuck PCV Valve. Stuck valve may cause oil leakage into the chamber thus producing grey fumes. If they are loose, tighten PCV Valve of car and check whether the smoke persists. Otherwise call your mechanic for better advice.

Black Exhaust Smoke

Burning of excessive fuel in the engine often causes the black exhaust smoke to emit. This means that too much gas is entering the chamber but only small amount of fuel is being burnt. In this case fill your gas tank with relevant amount of fuel. Let us take a look at some other causes.

Dirty Air filter

The air filter allows the oxygen to enter the combustion chamber and blocks other substances from entering the chamber. But if it is clogged, less air is allowed in the chamber resulting in your car burning too much fuel with small amount of oxygen which results in black smoke. It is better to replace the car air filter if you notice any symptom of malfunction.

Faulty Fuel Pressure Regulator

Our car’s fuel system is designed to work in different range of pressures.The fuel pressure regulator controls the pressure with which your car runs. A faulty regulator may cause the pressure to fluctuate and if it falls too low then there may not be enough fuel reaching the engine to start it. Replace the fuel pressure regulator if necessary.

Clogged Fuel injectors

Fuel injectors are the devices that are used to spray small amount of atomized gasoline into the vehicle’s Engine intake manifold which is meant to mix with the oxygen to start your car’s engine. A faulty fuel injector will cause too much fuel to leak inside the chamber which in turn produces black smoke. The remedy is to repair the auto fuel injectors.

Fuel Return

A restricted fuel return line allows too much fuel to be dissipated for combustion purposes. If the amount of fuel for combustion is higher than normal, more fuel will be burnt and the rate of burnt gases leaving the combustion chamber will also increase resulting in black smoke.

Burning excessive fuel will affect your car’s fuel economy. So pay attention to what it needs to ensure more miles for your car.

Bottom line

If your vehicle is running on too much oil, engine is burning too much oil or if you notice oil or coolant leakage, then there is a possibility that your engine is malfunctioning.

Smoke depicts that the car is in distress. Always diagnose what needs to be repaired and beware of the fake auto repair shops. Take advice from a professional or even take second opinion. Don’t wait for the engine light to flash.

Keep an eye on the smoke emitter by your car’s exhaust and keep proper level of Auto transmission fluid and coolant of car in your car.

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Is your car's oil level low between oil changes. Check the causes and troubleshoot this problem @PartsAvatar.

Troubleshoot problems, causes and ways to improve oil consumption capacity of your car – Tips from PartsAvatar Auto Parts.

Oil consumption is one of the most alarming situations a car owner faces.If your car’s engine is working fine, then there is no need to add oil. New cars have the benefit of almost working on no oil. Mostly new engines consume less than half quart of oil in 3000 miles. But it’s a grave problem for older engines. Engine is either burning oil due to worn piston rings or the oil is making its escape by leaking due to bad gasket. This could cost you heavy expenses for repair. First we need to properly diagnose our problem.

In this article, you will get the answers to the questions like, how to determine whether the consumption is high or low? What is its cause? How to fix it?

How to determine whether the consumption is normal?

As the vehicles age, there fuel or oil consumption also increases due to wear. So how much is considered normal? Let us read it in detail.

Not every engine consumes same amount of oil because of their different specifications of engines. There is not a specific guideline for this issue.

BMW tells its customers that the normal consumption can be in the range of one quart within 2000 miles on a properly driven or serviced drive. Sometimes answers vary as different professionals and mechanics have varying views over oil consumption.

So as a uniform rule, engines with fewer than 50000 miles should not use much more than a quart of oil between oil changes. Engine might be showing the signs of leaks if it demands oil every 3000 miles. This could also point to other engine problems related to combustion, worn out piston rings or worn seals.On the hole you can expect increase in oil consumption after 75000 miles under normal conditions.

For heavy engines like V6 or V8, manufacturers permit oil consumption up to 1 liter per 1000 km. many newer engines use low viscosity oil. This increases the chances of oil consumption as the thin oil slips over worn out rings, seals and gaskets.

It is very important to timely check for engine oil level and leaks in the engine. Visit your mechanic as soon as you encounter any problem regarding oil consumption. If you suspect leaks, get the element fixed or replaced otherwise the repair cost would be quite expensive if the damage increases. Consumption also depends upon the type of driving we do on the road. If you practice moderate driving on the road the consumption might be 0.1L per 1000 miles.

What is causing increased oil consumption?

Check the following symptoms for increased oil consumption.

No Smoke from Exhaust

If there is no trace of smoke in the exhaust, there is high possibility that oil level is low.Check the following root causes in this case.

Check the PCV Valves and replace them if they are not working properly.

The engine might have been undergoing some internal mechanical problems so diagnose and fix them immediately.

If the engine is not burning the oil properly then there are chances that engine’s valve seals are damaged. Visit your mechanic and get the valve seals replaced.

There might be some issue with engine’s gasket. Sometimes damaged or worn gasket or seals may increase the oil consumption. Get the gaskets and seals checked and repaired at the same time by a professional.

Coolant appears Brownish and foamy

There are many symptoms here like the most common being dirtied coolant. There aren’t any leaks visible but still your vehicle is losing oil and the engine is consuming more oil than normal. If you detect these symptoms then it is better to check the following causes.

Blown head gasket and cracked cylinder head are on the top of the list. It’s better to start your inspection by examining the head gasket and cylinder heads. If you find them not working up to the mark, then it is the right time to get them replaced. Aftermarket auto head gaskets and cylinder head are quite reliable and increasingly purchased by most owners.

Sometimes a crack or leak in the oil line could cause the oil to slip into the cooling system and ruin it. In this case replace or your car's engine oil cooler.

Oil puddles under the car

If you notice puddles of oil under your car, there is probably a leak. The oil level is not proper and sometimes you may notice burning smell of oil when the engine is idle. Keep your engine filled with proper level of oil and check for the following reasons that could prompt these symptoms.

In this case, you might have to check and replace your engine’s damaged PCV valves if necessary. You can also visually inspect the engine’s gasket and seals for any sign of damage or wear.The oil might be escaping due to loosened oil filter. Check car's engine oil filter out and tighten it. If you feel the need of replacement, then go ahead as it is a very simple DIY job for you.

Engine uses more oil and there is some smoke in exhaust

There are many symptoms like the Engine is consuming more oil than normal.The oil level gets low and engine’s oil is being burnt due to the smoke in the exhaust. If you notice that your car engine is losing its capacity and power then you will have to check the following causes.

A clogged PCV valve can cause the oil get sucked through air intake into the engine. In this case, it is better to get car's PCV Valve replaced by a professional.

A worn piston ring is a danger to the engine as it allows the engine oil to slip past. Oil might get on the wrong side of the ring so call your mechanic immediately if you notice any damage and replace auto piston rings if necessary.

Similarly, you will need to check the valve seals, as they might also be allowing the oil to slip through where it should not. Get the Valve seals replaced by professional if you detect this issue.

How to fix it?

The very first step towards fixing is to always use good quality oil in your vehicle. It is very important to maintain the proper level of the engine oil. If you ever notice oil contamination or carbon deposits on the oil neck, replace the dirty oil with the new high quality one matching your engine’s standards.

As explained above, if you notice the symptom and after detecting the damaged parts, get them replaced by your mechanic. Not every replacement job is a DIY, so secure your vehicle in the hands of mechanic or a professional.

For oil leaks there are some products called stop oil leaks available at online auto parts stores, so you can also choose this method to stop the leak.

In the end Parts avatar advises to use premium quality oil and the most important thing is to check and maintain your car regularly for best performance. You can also check Partsavatar.ca if you wish to shop for more Auto parts or accessories at cheap prices.

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